The Relax Into Birth Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

I have a love/hate relationship with birth plans so we thought it would be a great topic to bring to our weekly chats about everything pregnancy, birth and beyond. In this episode we chat more about why birth plans became popular and the importance of using the right language when creating one so that what you are really creating is a birth day wish list. Essentially everything that you do leading up to your birth is part of your birth plan and involves preparation - which is the part that I love. The more you prepare, the better the plan.

Drop us a line if you have any questions. We love feedback and if there is a subject you'd like to hear us natter about then let us know.

More about Karen here 

More about Charlene here 

Get Relax into Birth here

Sign up for the Pregnancy, Birth and Baby Summit here 

Waterbirth is known for its pain relieving effects and the benefits do not stop there. Water helps the mother to be buoyant and gives her added capacity for mobility. The water softens the tissues as the baby moves down the birth path and provides the baby with a gentle landing, as it transitions from the amniotic waters into the waters of the pool. The soothing effects of water cannot be denied and we chat all about this amazing option for labour and for birth at home or at hospital, to help you make your mind up about it and decide if you would like to try it for your birth experience. 

More about Karen here

More about Charlene here

Preview Relax into Birth PLUS here

Every week Doula Charlene and Midwife Karen come together to bring you this podcast as an offshoot of the Relax Into Birth PLUS course they created for pregnant and expectant couples. Relax Into Birth PLUS is a comprehensive, online antenatal course, focusing on labour, birth and beyond, featuring extensive hypnobirthing techniques as well as covering the medical aspects of the birthing process. 

We always have so much to share and so this podcast was born - and here we share birth stories, birthing world updates, interview birth workers from near and far, and also, we take the time to answer your burning questions around pregnancy, birth and motherhood.

In this episode, Karen and Charlene answer a subscriber's letter about pain relief and help her differentiate between natural forms of pain relief, as well as medical options available at a hospital birth. 

Dear karen and Charlene,
I have just finished Relax Into Birth PLUS - and I loved it by the way, but I have a few questions about pain relief. I have been thinking about about how labour will be - and if i will cope. I have heard that epidurals are amazing for pain relief - but have also heard that they can have an adverse effect on the baby. Is this true? What options do i have for pain relief - and should i opt for an epidural? From the course I learnt about having a doula present to help with natural forms of pain relief. How do they compare to the big guns of epidural and pethedine? What other options do I have? I think i have a high pain threshhold, but my husband thinks I will be begging for an epidural from the get go. I am hoping to prove him wrong - but I also have no idea what to expect. Thanks for your help - and for the course, I learnt so much!
Elle in Cape Town.

If you would like to have your question answered on the podcast, send us an email relaxintobirthplus@gmail.com or charlene@relaxintobirth.co.za

Get the Relax into Birth PLUS Pregnancy Playbook and Journal (free download) here

About Karen here 

About Charlene here

Preview the online antenatal Relax Into Birth PLUS course here

Please subscribe, rate and review our podcast!

PS: We are having a 50% off 24-hour flash sale of Relax Into Birth PLUS on Saturday morning from 7am. You do not want to miss out on this sale! <3 

This week Charlene and Karen answer questions about what it means to be a doula and a midwife and how the roles converge and differ. Here's this week's letter from a preggie mama working out her options for her birth:  Dear Charlene and Karen, I actually found your podcast when I was doing a google search on the difference between a midwife and a doula, so it would be great if you could talk about that in one of your shows. I listened to your episode last week about which gyn to choose, but recently I have been considering working with a midwife. When I posted in the Facebook group I belong to, I had lots of recommendations but many of them were for doulas and now I am a bit confused. Is a doula able to do  my prenatal care and deliver my baby? Can I hire a doula instead of a midwife? If I have a midwife will I automatically have a doula? And if I choose to have a hospital birth can I still have my midwife or maybe even my doula with me too? As you can see, I am totally confused and befuddled and hoping you can help me understand. Thanks so much,  Annamarie. 18 weeks pregnant with my first baby.

If you would like to have your question answered on the podcast, send us an email relaxintobirthplus@gmail.com or charlene@relaxintobirth.co.za

Get the Relax into Birth PLUS Pregnancy Playbook and Journal (free download) here

About Karen here 

About Charlene here

Please subscribe, rate and review our podcast!

Every week, we cover topics of pregnancy, birth and motherhood - and we read your letters and interview relevant folk to bring you the most up to date info in every podcast. We do our research - thoroughly... In this episode, we answer a letter from 20-week pregnant mama Jennifer, asking us for advice on how to best choose a doctor and hospital for her gynae-led birth. We offer advice and tips to cover all bases, including info on home birth vs hospital birth and midwife-lead vs ob-gyn-lead birth.

Charlene and Karen share their recommendations and some anecdotes - both funny and serious. If you love what you hear and you want more then drop by and download our FREE 40 page pregnancy playbook and journal packed with loads of fun stuff and tons of "must know prego info". Grab it here

All about Karen here

All about Charlene here 

Relax into Birth PLUS course here

Each week you are invited to send us your big birth question and we'll give you every angle of the dangle.

This week a listener, Fran, shares her concerns about whether her midwife or OBGYN will know if she has had sex when she is examined - if sex was the activity that induced her labour? Also, she is feeling mighty frisky - and we assure her this is normal too - Frisky Fran! 

Charlene and Karen share their recommendations and some anecdotes - both funny and serious.

If you love what you hear and you want more then drop by and download our FREE 40 page pregnancy playbook and journal packed with loads of fun stuff and tons of "must know prego info". Grab it here

All about Karen here

All about Charlene here 

Relax into Birth PLUS course here

Each week you are invited to send us your big birth question and we'll give you every angle of the dangle. This week a listener shares her concerns about how her partner might react during birth. Will he still find her desirable afterwards and will her body change? Charlene and Karen share their recommendations and some anecdotes - both funny and serious. If you love what you hear and you want more then drop by and download our FREE 40 page pregnancy playbook and journal packed with loads of fun stuff and tons of "must know prego info". Grab it here All about Karen here All about Charlene here  Relax into Birth PLUS course here

A brief intro from Charlene and Karen as they share why they teamed up to create Relax into Birth PLUS and what it's all about before launching into the latter of the week.

Each week you are invited to send us your big birth question and we'll give you every angle of the dangle.

This week is the big poop question....

If you love what you hear and you want more, then drop by and download our FREE 40-page pregnancy playbook and journal packed with loads of fun stuff and tons of "must know prego info". Grab it here

All about Karen here

All about Charlene here

Relax into Birth PLUS course here 

Breath is your best and most accessible tool when it comes to mental preparation and relaxation for birth. Your breath is powerful and can get you out of a fear state (the sympathetic mode) into your birthing state (parasympathetic mode), which can make your labour feel instantaneously more manageable. You want to sink into your limbic centre, where the mind lets go and your body goes into a state of allowing your baby to come down and out. Breath helps to move you from survival mode into birthing mode, gently and effectively. These tracks have been created for your convenience and can be played in pregnancy, during birth and even as a calming visualisation after birth. They are included in the Relax Into Birth Hypnobirthing Online course of prerecorded packaged video, audio and e-book content. 

Relax into Birth is the first proudly South African Online Birth Preparation School, of international standard, teaching women and their partners Hypnobirthing techniques and deep relaxation methods for a more comfortable and manageable birth experience at home or at hospital, for natural or caeasarean births.

DO THE COURSE IN YOUR OWN TIME, WHEN YOU WANT TO! Relax Into Birth is the most comprehensive online Hypnobirthing course available and features over 250 minutes of video course content, including a ‘doula in my pocket’ guide for dads / partners and thirteen (and counting!) downloadable audio hypnobirthing tracks and downloadable e-Books. Visit www.relaxintobirth.com for more info.

Listen to Nicky tell her birth story of how she pivoted with the news that she had to have an emergency caesarean - and how Relax Into Birth had given her the tools for an easier transition to a new plan... "I’m Nicky and this is our first baby - Josephine Olivia. My husband, a doctor was hoping for a girl so he was ecstatic when she came out. Our delivery didn’t go as we had initially hoped and prepared for. I was so so looking forward to a vaginal birth (I was so excited!). I laboured for 7 hours at home and then they found meconium in my waters at the hospital so Josie was delivered by emergency Caesar. I do not like any kind of medical things - injections, giving blood, COVID tests - so I usually faint when I have to do those things, but Josie’s birth was incredibly peaceful and calm despite all the busyness that comes with an emergency caesar. I am so grateful that I was able to train my body to function out of my parasympathetic nervous system and really be so present and relaxed during my birth. Learning so much every day and we’re loving being parents."

Relax into Birth is the first proudly South African Online Birth Preparation School, of international standard, teaching women and their partners Hypnobirthing techniques and deep relaxation methods for a more comfortable and manageable birth experience at home or at hospital, for natural or caeasarean births.  DO THE COURSE IN YOUR OWN TIME, WHEN YOU WANT TO! Relax Into Birth is the most comprehensive online Hypnobirthing course available and features over 250 minutes of video course content, including a ‘doula in my pocket’ guide for dads / partners and mandy downloadable audio hypnobirthing tracks and downloadable e-Books.

Visit www.relaxintobirth.com for more info.